Minivan sales have been declining in the past decade primarily due to the rising popularity of SUVs and crossovers. Minivans have been unfairly stereotyped as strictly family cars, and as a result, fewer and fewer consumers were buying them. It has been praised for its practicality for much of its history but mocked for being terribly “uncool.”

The 2022 Chrysler Pacifica is one of the last remaining minivans on the market today. But how does it stand up to the competition? Let’s take a look at three reasons you may want to choose the Pacifica over the 2022 Toyota Sienna.

The Pacifica has more trim levels to choose from for added luxury

The Pacifica offers seven trim levels. The least expensive model, the Touring, offers power-sliding side doors, a tiltable heated steering wheel with audio, Bluetooth, and Chrysler’s Uconnect 5 system featuring a 10.1-inch touch screen. 

The most expensive model, the Hybrid Pinnacle, offers premium quilted Nappa Caramel leather with second-row lumbar pillows on captain’s chair seating, the Uconnect Theatre with built-in games, and trailer sway control. It also comes standard with 18-in x 7.5-in polished aluminum wheels. 

For comparison, the Sienna only offers six trim levels. The most affordable model, the LE, delivers dual power sliding side doors, a blind-spot monitor, and a remote keyless entry system.

The most expensive model, the Platinum, offers a 10-inch color head-up display, a bird’s eye view camera, and heated second-row captain’s chairs.

The Pacifica has more power under the hood than the Sienna

The Pacifica is offered as a regular V6 or a plug-in hybrid powertrain and can be equipped with optional all-wheel drive. Consumer Reports stated that the 287-hp, 3.6-liter V6 engine with a nine-speed automatic could go from 0 to 60 mph in 8 seconds.

The Pacifica Hybrid makes only 260 hp with its 3.6-liter V6 and two electric motors backed by a 16-kWh lithium-ion battery.

On the other hand, the Sienna went hybrid starting with the 2021 model year with a combined 245 hp between the electric drive and the 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine. It can achieve 0 to 60 mph in 8.2 seconds, which is 0.2 seconds slower than the Pacifica. 

The Pacifica has more cargo room than the Sienna

The Pacifica has 32.3 cu-ft of cargo space and 140.5 cu-ft with the seating area. All Pacificas but the hybrid models come with second-row Stow ‘n Go seating and a third-row that folds into a well. When the seats are up, the well underneath can be used for storage. 

In the Sienna, the second-row seats aren’t removable, although they do slide and fold forward. They can’t be folded flat into the floor to expand cargo space like the Pacifica’s Stow ‘n Go seating. It has 33.5 cu-ft cargo space but only 101 cu-ft with the seating area. However, the Sienna has the advantage of seating eight passengers. In comparison, the Pacifica can only seat seven passengers.

Despite declining sales over the years, there are still a few die-hard minivan fans out there keeping the market alive. According to Auto Trader, minivan sales grew by 84% during the second quarter of 2021. If the trend continues, automakers may have to rethink their strategy and begin re-introducing minivans in the future.